The Winds of Change
by bulletpunch
Summary: Hibiki proposes to Kotone, but she rejects him for another. SilverxKotone, SoulSilvershipping. Rated for language.


I guess I should have seen it coming. Hibiki had always been rather forward with his feelings about me; never really bothering to hide them. I should have assumed that he didn't want to just hang out like old friends. Probably at the start when he'd mention dinner. I just kept lying to myself because… because I thought he _knew_ that my heart would never be his.

The wind had been blowing strongly through New Bark and I'd been holding onto my hat for dear life when he kneeled down. His confession was beautiful, something out of a fairytale. He'd loved me since we were children and he wanted to be with me forever. That he'd been trying to say it to me for so long, but the words just wouldn't come. Most of all that he hoped I loved him too.

I was so sorry that I had to decline.

And then I was gone, riding on my Dragonite to Goldenrod. I needed to get on that train and find him; Silver. We had been in shaky contact for so long, but I'd always know where he was. Viridian City; training with Blue. I needed to speak with him; this whole ordeal had made it clear to me.

Dragonite's wing beats were almost like music as Goldenrod appeared in the distance.

* * *

Hibiki and I still spoke often, so when he invited me out for drinks out of the blue I really couldn't turn him down. Sometimes I think he just had a certain magic to him, always making me laugh despite my stubborn self. In any case, him and I drank and talked about our lives. I was semi-apprenticing at Viridian Gym, not really a gym trainer but still training with Green.

How was I to know that the news he had would break me in two? He was slurring his words; Hibiki had never held his liquor well, and babbling about his plans. I'd chuckled at the outrageous and nodded sagely at the more serious.

Then, out of nowhere. "I'm going to ask Kotone to marry me, Silv. It's going to be great. I want you to be my best man…" I froze, unable to say anything to him. He was going to ask…? Arceus, I hadn't even known they had been dating.

After that my responses to his questions were just automatic, almost robotic. Yes, no, maybe, why not. No emotion. I don't think he noticed, too far-gone. Once again, Hibiki could _not_ hold his liquor.

I bid him a formal good night and put my jacket back on; Kanto could really be chilly during the winter months.

* * *

"Silver, you have a visitor!" The redhead jerked from his light doze when he heard the voice of his mentor echo from the front room. The young man came out, jacket hanging over his shoulder. This was the only break he got from training with Green all day; he hoped it was at least someone important interrupting his naptime.

"Yeah, yeah, who is…?" His question trailed off. Kotone? Here? Now? "Oh… Kotone. What are you doing here?" The young man's question was sharp; wasn't she supposed to be happily ever after with Hibiki? And she was here so late…

The girl didn't seem phased by his barbed tongue. "Walk with me?" It was a simple question, but there was so much emotion behind it. Even if Silver had wanted to say no, he wouldn't have.

"Of course."

She walked over to him and looped her right arm into his left, tugging him lightly along towards the entrance to the gym. The redhead allowed himself to be pulled of course. Soon the gym was almost completely in the distance; the walk had been peppered with small talk.

"So you've been working with Green, eh? How's that working for you?" Kotone had long since released Silver's arm and now they were just walking side by side. "I hope he's nice…" Kotone hadn't attacked the Donphan in the room and Silver wasn't too keen on it either.

"Yeah, he's okay. Really strong. I'd thrash you in a battle now." He bragged lightly. "Besides, you and Hibiki are so in love that you probably haven't been training. I'd beat you anyway." Ah, and finally the Donphan had been pointed out.

Kotone was shocked. "What was that?" She picked up her pace and stopped in front of him, an incredulous look on her face. "Listen, don't talk like you know anything about what goes on in my life. You hardly ever talk to me anymore, Silver." Her annoyance continued to build with her words until she finally shoved him backwards.

"Hey!" Silver stumbled, more from the shock of being shoved than the shove itself. "And don't I? Last night I went drinking with Hibiki and he told me what was going on!" He countered, resisting the urge to shove her right back. No, he wasn't going to be _childish_! "He asked you to marry him and you're going to live happily ever after, right?" The set of his mouth betrayed the beginnings of a scowl and the words were littered with bitterness.

The girl felt the urge to shove him again but repressed it. "Come off it! You don't know anything about what went on, Silver!" Her face was also contorted in what looked like the beginnings of a scowl. "For your information—"

He cut her off. "Why the hell are you even here, Kotone? So you can invite me to your beautiful wedding? Sorry, but I'm not fucking interested." Silver began to turn around, heading back to the gym. Why did he even go with her?

"I'm talking to you, idiot!" She grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep him from running away like he always did. "You always run away from me, why do you always do that? We're _talking_."

The redhead stared down at the small hand holding him and seemed to debate with himself for a moment before turning back around and grabbing both of her wrists. "I run because you always seem to want to shove your perfect life in my face. You have Hibiki; you have the championship, countless wins over me. What could you _possibly_ want from me?" Their faces were close now; his voice just above a rather dangerous sounding whisper.

Kotone looked straight into his red eyes, no fear and unblinking. "All of you, Silver." She tugged her hands and he was pulled forward from the strong grip he still had on her wrists. "I love you, can't you see that?" She tried to hug him as best she could with her hands still in his grasp.

Silver was, in a word, flabbergasted. "W-what?" He internally cursed himself for not being able to keep his voice steady. "But Hibiki proposed…" He had been so sure the girl was in love with her childhood friend. His hands dropped hers and instead his arms moved to enclose her.

The girl smiled into his chest. "And I said no, do you see any ring, Silver?" She laughed, but not at him. At the situation. The two of them were so odd, yelling at each other one moment and embracing the next. She'd missed this, the unpredictability of their relationship. "I said no because of _you_."

Silver pulled back, incredibly shocked at both admissions. "Kotone…" He swallowed and stared at her for a few moments. His eyes darted down and looked at her hands, currently still suspended in the air. No ring… she was being upfront with him. He began to laugh, pulling her into another hug.

"I love you, too." Why had that been so hard to say for so long? Now it just felt like buttering. "I've missed you."

She pulled back slightly. "I missed you too…" She reached up and kissed him, moving her hands to wrap around his neck.

Silver's hands wrapped around her mid-section, deepening the kiss. He wasn't going to be going back to the gym today. Green would understand.

* * *

Soooo, I have a friend who's a big lover of SilverxKotone stuff and she had this prompt. I couldn't resist~

Anyway, enjoy all. R&R?


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